Canada needs a robust regulatory process that offers a precise timeline and does not allow radicals to “game” the system, Joe Oliver, the Minister of Natural Resources, said Friday.

“This would require legislation and regulatory changes,” Mr. Oliver told the National Post editorial board. “We have a system which lends itself to potential manipulation, duplication and delays.”

“You look at the possibility of hearing thousands of people — some of them with legitimate reason — but others who are there just to kill the process. You take account of the numbers but you don’t necessarily have to hear everyone who repeats the same canned message. It would never happen in a court setting,” said Mr. Oliver, referring to Enbridge Inc.’s Northern Gateway pipeline hearings, where 4,000 people are expected to speak over the year-long process.

The Minister would not say whether the new legislation would impact Northern Gateway, or indeed when the new legislation may be introduced.

“It’s a priority issue. We need fixed timelines for the entire process, pre-hearing, hearing and post hearing processes. We need a beginning-to-end process that’s actually enforceable. It’s not just an issue of optics… There are thousands of projects that are subjected to delays,” said the Minister.

The provinces are on board with the need for regulatory reform. At a meeting last summer, federal, provincial and territorial energy and mines ministers agreed regulatory upgrades were key to realizing the full potential of Canada’s natural resources, said Mr. Oliver, adding that the oil sands is an issue of national interest beneficial to the wider economy, not just Alberta.

“The oil sands creates business for more than 1,000 Ontario companies alone,” said the Minister.

About 35,000 people in Ontario are working in jobs linked to the oil sands. If projected development occurs, it means an additional 15,000 jobs per year in Ontario over the next 25 years.

The new legislations are also crucial given the urgent need for Canada’s rising energy output to be brought to the market. The current tensions surrounding Keystone XL notwithstanding, the U.S. can’t absorb “all our natural resources” said Mr. Oliver emphasizing Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit to China next month to expand Canada’s market beyond its southern neighbour.

But to get to market quickly, the country will need to upgrade the regulatory systems without compromising on environmental standards, and soak up close to $500-billion in new energy investments over the next decade and create much-needed jobs.